Longtime television reporter John Roberts – currently an anchor at Fox News – apologized yesterday after making comments about former New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s weight.
“I just want to take a moment to address something, because I really do feel terrible about it,” he said, adding that, “I made a comment that I meant to be lighthearted but immediately realized was hurtful towards Gov. Chris Christie. I should not have said what I said, I deeply regret it, and I sincerely apologize to the governor.”
Roberts was referring to a comment he made while using an analogy about milkshakes and the current pool of GOP presidential candidates. Christie announced Tuesday that he was joining the fray.
“The Republican party is two milkshakes,” Roberts said. “And this one – representing almost half the party, because that’s what the polling shows – has got one straw in it, and that’s Donald Trump’s straw. And the other milkshake – which represents the non-Donald Trump part of the Republican party – has how many straws in it now? And now, we’re going to have Chris Christie’s straw there?”
After setting up the milkshake analogy, Roberts said “and judging by Chris Christie’s physical stature, he could drink a lot of that milkshake if he wanted to.”
“Ouch,” Roberts’ “America Reports” cohost Sandra Smith said quietly. Roberts previously reported for CBS News and CNN. He’s married to investigative correspondent Kyra Phillips of ABC News and they are parents to twins.
Lis Power of the Media Matters watchdog group posted the comment and Roberts’ apology on Twitter.
According to the Huffington Post, Christie underwent lap-band surgery in 2013 and his weight “has long been the subject of attacks.”
In fact, Trump also mocked Christie’s weight in a video and post on his Truth Social account Tuesday.
“How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE?” said the former president. Christie responded to the comments and called them “childish” and juvenile,” in a CNN interview.
“Breaking news... I have struggled with my weight for 20 years. What I haven't struggled with is my character,” Christie said in a Wednesday tweet. “I’ll put that up against Donald Trump’s any day. If that’s the best he’s got, then he’s lost his fastball.”
Trump does have support from more than half of GOP voters (53.8%), according to poll results compiled by FiveThirtyEight. As of Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in a distant second with around 21%. So far, polling for Christie hasn’t reached above 3%, but the outlet noted that he has been out of the spotlight for some time.
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